This application does not claim the benefit of provisional patent application.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Certain roofing materials in use on modern structures require unique installation solutions due to the limitations of the roofing material. For example, if using stone slates, wood shingles, ceramic tiles, fiber reinforced cement boards, flat panels, etc. there is the issue of how to finish off the hips and ridges. A hip is essentially the outward oriented corners where roof sides intersect. A ridge, or apex, is essentially the upward oriented corner where roof sides intersect. Typically, each roof side in a hip or ridge will have a first layer of the roofing material secured to the load bearing decking of the roof. But to finish off the hip or ridge, a second layer of the roofing material is centered over the hip or ridge defining edge such that it straddles both sides. The second layer of roofing material must be secured to the load bearing decking without damaging or introducing potential leak points to the decking and first layer of the roofing material. The purpose of finishing the hip or ridge is to prevent leakage at the hip or ridge while outwardly presenting a finished look. Often a barrier layer, such as an asphalt liner, plastic liner, or metal flashing, is placed between the first and second layers of roofing material to act as a water barrier.
It is a goal of the present invention to provide a novel roofing trim saddle system and method of installing for use in roofing and siding applications. The system can be used with many different types of roofing and siding materials and installation methods.
It is another goal of the present invention to reduce the cost of installation and replacement by reducing the underlay, liner, or barrier layer preparation and simplifying the installation.
It is a goal of the present invention to overcome many of the limitations and drawbacks of the attachment means traditionally used in roofing and siding hips and ridges by providing a system that is strong, secure, adaptable, adjustable, customizable, thin, light-weight, self aligning, weather-proof, can be readily designed to accommodate many different roofing styles and materials on site, and can be manufactured to the needs of any particular roofing and siding application.
For ease of understanding the disclosure, the terms outward facing, outside, highest, lowest, top, bottom, etc. may be used to describe the position of any part or surface with respect to the others. For example, “outward facing” describes the side that faces towards the reader; “lowest” describes the side closest to the roof or wall decking; “bottom” means closest to the ground; and “top” means furthest from the ground.
The System:
The invention describes a novel roofing trim saddle system and method of installing for use in roofing and siding applications. The system comprises a first saddle bracket, a final saddle bracket, at least one roofing material unit, and fasteners. In some implementations, the system further comprises a barrier layer, wherein the barrier layer is comprised of a material selected from common water barrier materials such as plastic, asphalt, metal, and composites. The user will typically use one saddle bracket per each length of roofing material unit (a unit is each tile, each shingle, each slate piece, each panel, etc.). Some roofing materials are nonplanar, meaning the roofing unit is pre-formed or made with an angle such that each unit can straddle the ridge or hip. An example of this type of roofing material would be the ridge tile or hip tile having an angle. Other roofing materials are substantially flat, thus two units (joined or un-joined) will need to be used with each saddle bracket. An example of this would be slate shingles that have no angle, therefore requiring the use of two shingles. The saddle bracket will engage with the two roofing material units to form a modular section that can be repeated for the length of the target hip or ridge.
A first basic implementation of the roofing trim saddle system, saddle bracket 100, is depicted in
In the implementation shown in
The saddle bracket of the present disclosure has a material of construction selected from the group including plastics, metals, composites, and resins. The characteristics of the material of construction include being readily pre-formable such as plastics, resins, and composites, or otherwise mechanically deformable (malleable), such as metals. Furthermore, the material should exhibit resistance to the effects of weather exposure, such as sun, precipitation, corrosion, temperature changes, etc. The preferred embodiment is one where the material of construction is a strong, light, and pliable metal such as stainless steel or copper. Some notable implementations use copper; others use stainless steel; others galvanized iron; others copper plated steel; and others copper plated iron. The malleability allows the saddle bracket to be applied to and accommodate the variability in roofing materials. The same property accommodates the difference in angle between the roof and the subsequent roofing unit (see
The saddle bracket of the present disclosure further comprises at least four retaining tabs: left retaining tab, bottom-left retaining tab, bottom-right retaining tab, and right retaining tab. Each retaining tab is a finger-like protrusion that is connected to the body and extends away from the body. Saddle bracket 100 is comprised of left retaining tab 115 (which is positioned on left edge 109), bottom-left retaining tab 117 (which is positioned on lower edge 111), bottom-right retaining tab 119 (which is positioned on lower edge 111), and right retaining tab 121 (which is positioned on right edge 113).
The retaining tabs shown in
In other implementations, the saddle bracket has at least two retaining tabs on each of left edge and right edge of the body. In some implementations having two retaining tabs on each of left edge and right edge of the saddle bracket body, one of the two retaining tabs of left edge and one of the two retaining tabs of right edge are bent upward as described in the preceding paragraph to engage with the roofing material unit of that modular section—but the second retaining tab of left edge and the second retaining tab of right edge are bent downward and around to engage with the roofing material unit of the preceding modular section. See
The saddle bracket of the present disclosure further comprises at least one slot tab on each side of the line of symmetry. In other words, a basic implementation of the present disclosure will comprise at least a first slot tab in the left side of the body and at least a second slot tab in the right side of the body, such that the line intersecting those slot tabs is parallel to the lower edge of the body. This will help align each subsequent row of roofing material. Each slot tab is formed by a small slit in the saddle bracket body. The slit shape defines the slot tab shape. For example, a slit shaped like a “V” results in a pointed slot tab, while a slit shaped like a “U” takes on a rounded tab shape. In some implementations, such as seen in
Each slot tab has a first position (or state) “unprepared,” a second position “prepared,” and a third position “flattened.” The unprepared position is where the slot tabs are still in the plane defining the saddle bracket body. The prepared position is where the slot tabs are perpendicular to the saddle bracket body, extending down ward and away from bottom side of the body. See
Returning to the cross-sectional view of
Note that for roofing materials that are substantially flat, two units are required to form the angle of the ridge or hip. These two units may be joined or un-joined. In other words, the two units of roofing material may be connected via some material or adhesive, or not. In some implementations, the roofing material units may be joined via a durable and flexible material that acts as a hinge.
In some implementations, a long base member or strip is used to attach multiple saddle brackets at pre-measured intervals. This strip can be used to increase the speed of installation.
The Method of Installation:
For installation (use) of the roofing trim saddle system, the target roofing surface must be prepared. Each side of the target roof should have the roofing material installed. A barrier layer should be positioned over the target ridge or hip of the target roof with appropriate overhang on either side of the ridge or hip defining edge, if the barrier layer is needed or desired. Note that the barrier layer will be held in place by the saddle system of the present disclosure upon installation, therefore no additional attachment means are needed for the barrier layer beyond what is necessary to initially position it over the target ridge or hip edge.
In some implementations the body of the saddle bracket is pre-folded along the line of symmetry to a pre-determined angle corresponding to the ridge or hip angle of the target roof. However, in other implementations, such as saddle bracket 100 (seen in
Similarly, in some implementations the slot tabs are pre-folded downward, while in others the slot tabs are not. Returning to saddle bracket 100, the slot tabs that will be used can be folded at the time of installation by pushing each from the top side 103 inward towards the bottom side 105 until the slot tab is perpendicular to the saddle bracket body 101 (slot tab prepared position).
Likewise, in some implementations the retaining tabs are pre-folded into the retaining structure, while in others the retaining tabs are not pre-folded. Returning to saddle bracket 100, the retaining tabs can be prepared at the time of installation, by bending them up and around the roofing material unit that will be used. Therefore, the distance between the first and second bend on each retaining tab should be equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the target roofing material unit.
The installation or use of the roofing trim saddle system is comprised of modular sections. For reference, see
Once the first modular section has been installed, additional modular sections may be needed to completely cover the length of the target hip or ridge. Assuming that another modular section is needed, the second saddle bracket must have the slot tabs in the prepared position. The second saddle bracket is oriented similarly to the first saddle bracket—straddling the target hip or ridge and with the lower edge closest to the starting edge point. However, the second saddle bracket is positioned partially over the top most edge of the first roofing material unit of the first modular section, such that the prepared slot tabs of the second saddle bracket rest adjacent to that top most edge of the first roofing material unit. Means of attachment should be applied to the second saddle bracket as before with the first saddle bracket. A second roofing unit (or two, as needed) should be engaged by the left edge and right edge retaining tabs of the second saddle bracket as before with the first saddle bracket. This completes the second modular section.
The process can be repeated as necessary to install additional modular sections until the point where only one more modular section will fully cover the end of the target hip or ridge (including appropriate overhang if any). The final modular section will require two saddle brackets, referred to as the “second to last saddle bracket” and the “final saddle bracket.” The second to last saddle bracket is installed the same as with the previous modular section. However, before the final roofing material unit (or two) is engaged by the retaining tabs, the final saddle bracket must be installed. The final saddle bracket must have the slot tabs in the flattened position. The orientation of the final saddle bracket is reversed compared to all the others before it. Thus, the lower edge of the final saddle bracket will be oriented towards the end of the target hip or ridge. The final saddle bracket must be positioned such that the retaining tabs of lower edge will engage the top most edge of the final roofing material unit (or two) at the end of the target hip or ridge (including appropriate overhang if any). The means of attachment are applied to the final saddle bracket as with the other saddle brackets. The final roofing material unit (or two) is then engaged by the retaining tabs of the second to last and final saddle brackets. This completes the final modular section.
Any excess underlay layer (also known as a barrier layer) can be trimmed or removed to complete the installation.
The installation method is similar for the implementations having holes in place of the slot tabs, though the step preparing the position of the slot tab is unnecessary.
For installation of certain implementations, such as those described earlier wherein the saddle bracket has retaining two tabs on each of left edge and right edge, the process is largely the same. However, in the implementations wherein there are two retaining tabs on each of left edge and right edge of the saddle bracket, one retaining tab on each edge is for engaging the roofing material unit of the previous modular section. This is accomplished by bending the retaining tab downward and around the roofing material unit of the previous modular section. The remaining retaining tab on the left edge and right edge of the saddle bracket body is folded upward and around the roofing material unit that is being installed with the present module. This step of the installation can be done concurrent with the engagement of the roofing material unit of the modular unit that is being installed, or optionally, it can be done prior to the application of the means of attachment.
Although the implementations have been described and illustrated with a certain degree of detail or with reference to one or more particular embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example. It should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Furthermore, the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms. Obvious variations and other various changes in the composition, combination, and arrangement of parts can be utilized to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as herein disclosed and claimed.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1463482 | Mountford | Jul 1923 | A |
1493852 | Fogg | May 1924 | A |
4788801 | Jones | Dec 1988 | A |
5896719 | Thornton | Apr 1999 | A |
6474037 | Thompson | Nov 2002 | B2 |
6560945 | Carpenter | May 2003 | B1 |
7971409 | Bak | Jul 2011 | B2 |
20060059858 | Layman | Mar 2006 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
29703031 | May 1997 | DE |
2030629 | Apr 1980 | GB |
1587202 | Apr 1981 | GB |
2272715 | May 1994 | GB |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20210010268 A1 | Jan 2021 | US |